I'd love it if people would start crediting the Mayflower Compact, rather than Ronald Reagan, for the "shining city upon a hill" line.

@1 The original "city upon a hill" line comes from Matthew 5:14 ("You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.").

So, uh, I guess my Jesuit education finally paid off. In the Slog comments section...

Hey Stranger editors ...
It's high time you stopped using those godawful Danny Schwartz illustrations whenever there's an article on Republican candidates.

As a presidential candidate, Obama was unbelievably resolute at staying out of the mud. Sometime around September of '08, his supporters were wondering if he'd ever get mad and throw a punch (foreshadowing his presidential style). So he'll probably play that part again. Romney will let the Karl Rove set do the dirty work so he can claim, hypocritically, the highroad.

So who do you think Mitten's will choose as his running mate? I'm curious if it will be one of the also-rans or someone else.

I second CripKev's motion to dismiss the eye sore comics..... These Republican candidates are ugly enough, do you have to make them even uglier???

the recovery from the crash of 29 took over 10 years till ww2 started and ramped up industrial production.

obama's been at it for 3 and he's "failed"? the S&P's up 500 points & unemployment has declined by 3 million since he was inaugurated!

Actually, I believe the "City on a Hill" phrase is from John Winthrop's "Model of Christian Charity," a decade after Plymouth, not the Mayflower Compact (or Reagan, for that matter).

The reason to run for president, even when there is no hope of grabbing 15% of the delegates, is that it positions you in the party. Huntsman could be angling for an appointment, or a seat at the table when they discuss GOP strategy, or even laying the groundwork for '16 or '20. Or he could be upping his speaker or lobbyist fees. Winning the election is not the real goal here, folks.

11CS would refer it as the high ground as Stevie Wonder would say it as higher ground.
Not by the river means up a hill.

the wild card indeed as Mitt dodges and ducks and explains his stance views beliefs with yack from a camel?

I find him similar to the president of Iran and if in the small chance he gets in the white house would expect the same yack from a camel.

A delusional republican ejaculating his money wad onto the face of the grossest part of American history he seems to be a total "yes man" and more of the male part in a Charmane Star movie.

His running mate will reflect Dick Cheney as the evil brain needed to dress the clown and make sure that colonialism still keeps Britain as Americas shining example of the city on a hill as that is what an island is.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-5…

who wants John McCain as vice president or President defacto?

His running mate will be a hard-right Tea Party favorite, and not any of the other candidates. The other candidates are irreparably tainted by their performances here, unless they are one of the ones who were irreparably tainted already (Santorum, Gingrich). You don't win by picking a loser.

Remember too, he's anointing a successor, unless he picks someone ancient. I'm thinking "current or recent Governor, rising star", like Palin was four years ago, only not a complete fuckhead like she turned out to be.

I don't think the Bain thing will hurt him with Republicans. They love the free market too much. Like when he said he likes to be able to fire people, anti-union = win.

So Shitt Ram-me took a santorum bath and now we're all going to get flushed down?

@13, 14 To continue this thread, I am pretty confident Romney will be looking to do some good old fashioned ticket balancing, i.e.: northern, non-evangelical, wishy-washy conservative meets southern, evangelical, dyed in the wool Republican. Regardless of the eventual running mate's attributes, I am definitely confident that he will be picking someone that the GOP base finds reassuring and personable, again, the opposite of Romney.

Or not, Mittens and his handlers could maintain their vulcan-like strategy and say, "let them eat cake!" and pick the politician they want because they're "the smartest guys in the room," etc.

To comment upon the article as a whole, here are my predictions for November:

Obama wins re-election if:
A.) Turnout is high (credit: Paul Constant)
B.) The economy continues its current trajectory
C.) He keeps the same basic campaign strategy as 2008 (doesn't jump in the gutter, rocks the student vote, small donations, lots of shoe leather, etc)
D.) He convinces at least a portion of the public that congressional Republicans are the problem. (Polls show this could be done)

Romney wins if:
A.) Turnout is low, especially the youth vote
B.) The economy sours (although this could paradoxically spur turnout, though probably of a less Obama-friendly sort)
C.) His running mate becomes a cause celebre and nets him swing states (yeah, I don't know who this fabled person is either.)
D.) His businessman persona finds traction.

The following memes need to be addressed by Obama, if he wants to win:

A.) America is weaker abroad. (Seriously? Libya, bin Laden, the withraw from Iraq (Afghanistan coming soon!), and the Drone program aren't enough?)
B.) Mitt is going to get any more likable the more he is forced to have unscripted, videotaped moments on the campaign trail. (see: "Corporations are people, my friend.")
C.) Obama is a weak-kneed apologizing machine (see: A)
D.) The stimulus failed. (No, it did in fact create jobs. It could have created more jobs at less $/job if it had been comprised of more funds and less tax cuts)
E.) Stimuli do not work at all/Suck it, Keynes. (see: D)

Anyone wanna lay odds on whether Willard will pick Jeb Bush as his running mate?

2012 is another blue wave and the Republicans go back to being the Phillip and Terrance show.

Much in tune with The Cat church of Gawd and hell bent to prove a man cant love a man like he can love a woman.
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aei…

what would you expect from Canadians?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWzdDTZNW…

@19 That is an awesome crazy rant! If I saw you screaming on a street corner I would stop and listen for several minutes unless you smelled too strongly of your own poo. Keep 'me coming!

Republican voter turn out was low because of their terrible candidates. As much as people are frustrated with Obama right now, it's better to give him another four years to get us back on track than have someone else make it worse.

@18: I wouldn't be surprised.

@24: I agree. Let's face it: the Reagans and Bushes fucked the U.S. up the ass so bad it'll take at LEAST two consecutive terms for Barack Obama just to get everything back to before we got fucked over by two illegal wars, bank deregulation, and letting corporations run amok.

Love the view of all the candidates! A good laugh!

@27: ...and yet you remain unregistered.

Reagan gets far too much credit for his words. Correctly noted before, "the city on the hill" was used by Kennedy before Reagan, Winthrop long before that, and Winthrop was using it as a reference from the Bible even longer before that.

@23... you're either full-on, baying at the moon batsh*t crazy or doing an amazing good parody of somebody who is.

Either way, bravo. And please stop pooping on my begonias.

And, if I'm not mistaken, Winthrop's point was not "we're so shiny!", but rather "the whole world is watching, let's not screw up".

why some people cant imagine that Reagan rode the Technology bubble is like light years beyond Me?

Oh Reagan my My ass? what a dry crusty ignorant fart of politics and economics if you cant detect a impact of technology?

its like December 2, 1927 the date the model A went on sale and the lead up to the market crash of 1928. too early for Calvin Coolidge to reap the benefits of Mr. Ford and too late too avoid the Market crash Calvin Coolidge was noted in Wiki=

Coolidge restored public confidence in the White House after the scandals of his predecessor's administration, and left office with considerable popularity. As a Coolidge biographer put it, "He embodied the spirit and hopes of the middle class, could interpret their longings and express their opinions. That he did represent the genius of the average is the most convincing proof of his strength." Coolidge praised the achievement of widespread prosperity in 1928, saying: "The requirements of existence have passed beyond the standard of necessity into the region of luxury." Some later criticized Coolidge as part of a general criticism of laissez-faire government. His reputation underwent a renaissance during the Ronald Reagan Administration, but the ultimate assessment of his presidency is still divided between those who approve of his reduction of the size of government programs and those who believe the federal government should be more involved in regulating and controlling the economy.

If the economic fruits are spoiling and the government is getting less revenue to feed a bloated budget then it don't take a wizard to summon simple math to realize tax reform and government restructure is in the tarot cards?

McCain on David Letterman said we will pay a trillion dollars for a fighter jet? one fighter jet?

If we return to 1928 its obvious the government is not capable of regulating and controlling the economy. They have not learned anything from history and are just seals barking for fish.

"bon mot". Yeah whatever dude.

Raise your hand if you read this article ( beyond the second sentence and '[Mitt] promptly covered himself in shit.'

Can you imagine the Mormon lovefest that will occur betwixt this dork and Harry Reid?

Dear Paul,

What does Obama's asshole taste like?

I'm guessing pineapple and cocaine.

Love,

Genesis Revelations